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Alderney Economic Development Study

Draft final report

August 2014

© Frontier Economics Ltd, London.

Frontier Economics 2

Summary

● There is clear evidence of economic and population decline on Alderney in recent years.

● Population decline is forecast to continue without policy action designed to reverse the trend.

● Frontier Economics were commissioned by the States of Guernsey to assess economic drivers on

Alderney and the scope for future economic development.

● We were also asked to consider policies which would enable this development, including assessing the

role of different options for improving Alderney airport in unlocking economic potential.

● The main economic drivers on Alderney have been public administration, business services, finance,

eGaming, tourism and energy.

● There are a number of economic opportunities, particularly around tourism, business services, renewable

energy and drawing on Alderney’s recognised global strengths in regulation.

● Policy actions were identified in 4 areas, with key points highlighted below:

Sector-specific issues Airport Governance Cross-cutting issues

Additional resources for tourist

marketing, better data on tourism

and a tourism strategy.

Monitor scope for improved ICT.

Monitor and identify opportunities

for additional eGaming jobs on

Alderney.

Flexible use of eGaming licence

fees for intangible capital.

Co-ordinated economic

development strategy.

Joint statement of intent between

Alderney and Guernsey.

More robust economic data

collection and analysis.

Increased mentoring roles for

experienced on-island residents.

Market ease of re-location.

Explore scope for targeted tax

incentives to attract business.

Identify options to interconnect to

French electricity supply.

Explore options to improve ferry

connections.

Fund improvements to ensure

regulatory compliance.

Implement a Public Service

Obligation for the Alderney routes.

Better data on demand for air travel

to Alderney.

No clear case for extended runway

now; do not preclude it in future.

The key issue

Role of the

study

Key findings


Contents

Analysis of Alderney’s current economic situation

3

Detailed findings and recommendations from our analysis relating to:

● Key sectors driving Alderney’s economy

● Issues around governance (on Alderney and between Alderney and Guernsey)

● Other cross-cutting issues affecting multiple economic sectors

● Alderney airport

4

Background and our approach to this study

1

Our key findings and recommendations

2

Annexe: key sources

5


Background

Main findings and

recommendations

Current economic

situation

Detailed findings

Sector-level

Governance

Other cross-cutting issues

Alderney airport

Annex: evidence base


Frontier Economics was commissioned by the States of Guernsey (Commerce &

Employment) to assess Alderney’s economic development and the role of the airport

The purpose of the study is twofold:

● To assess the economic drivers for Alderney’s economy.

● To assess the potential for economic development on Alderney.

● To identify specific economic opportunities for Alderney.

● To identify, scope and detail policy (or other) actions that could be pursed to exploit such

opportunities.

● To consider the role of the airport to the Alderney economy in shaping the opportunities and policy

requirements, with due regard to proposals for improvements to the airport.

The airport 2

Alderney’s economy 1

The study was motivated by the Requête submitted to and approved by the States of Guernsey in

January 2014.


We drew on existing literature, stakeholder engagement, and economic data from the

States of Guernsey in developing our recommendations

Literature and

public evidence

Stakeholder

engagement

Analysing

economic data

We reviewed the literature and publicly available evidence, starting from

(but not limited to):

□ the States of Alderney Strategic Plan 2014;

□ Guernsey’s Economic Development Framework; and

□ the Strategic Outline Business Case for Alderney Airport Runway

Development V3.0.

Our stakeholder engagement included:

□ meetings and calls with policymakers, politicians, and businesses in

Alderney and Guernsey while developing our interim findings; and

□ workshops in Alderney and Guernsey to develop and refine our interim

findings before finalising the report.

Analysing economic data, particularly that collected by the States of

Guernsey.

We have drawn on the following evidence in developing our findings:


Our main analytical approach was the use of a SWOT analysis

● To understand Alderney’s economic drivers, we undertook a ‘SWOT’ analysis.

● The framework explores ‘helpful’ and ‘harmful’ factors in reversing Alderney’s

economic and population decline that are:

□ internal (i.e. based on Alderney’s characteristics); and

□ external (typically forward looking features of the external environment)

● This analysis is useful in developing policy actions or other strategies to:

□ build on strengths and overcome weaknesses; and

□ exploit opportunities and mitigate threats.

Strengths Weaknesses

Opportunities Threats

Inte

rnal

facto

rs to

Ald

ern

ey

Exte

rna

l

facto

rs

Helpful Harmful SWOT

analysis


We began by analysing a number of key economic sectors, and then identified a set of

cross-cutting issues affecting a number of sectors, including the airport

* We understand there to be a single farm on the island and a very small fishing industry. The size of the sector in terms of number of

employees and total remuneration can be seen in the chart below relating to economic data.

We used the following framework to develop our findings and recommendations:

Air lin

ks

Ald

ern

ey’s

econom

y

Governance

The airport

Sectors

Cross-cutting

issues

● Governance issues we considered included Alderney’s autonomy with

respect to spending, and policymaking capacity and co-ordination (both on

Alderney and between Alderney and Guernsey).

● We also analysed the role of economic data pertaining to Alderney.

● The sectors we looked into were renewable energy, tourism, eGaming,

financial services, digital industries, and agriculture and fishing.

● We carried out a full SWOT analysis for each sector, excluding agriculture

and fishing which is a very small sector on Alderney.*

● Cross-cutting issues identified included those relating to attracting staff and

requisite skills to Alderney.

● We also analysed electricity and ferry connectivity.

● We considered the role of the airport in terms of Alderney being able to

capitalise on its economic opportunities.

● We analysed this with regard to proposals to improve the existing runways,

and to extend the long runway to accommodate larger planes.


Background

Main findings and

recommendations

Current economic

situation

Detailed findings

Sector-level

Governance


Alderney airport



There is clear evidence of economic and population decline in Alderney, but there are

a number of significant economic opportunities

● There is clear evidence of economic and population decline. Population decline is

forecast to continue, and policy action is required to try to reverse this. In particular

there is an urgent need to attract more younger people to live and work on the island.

Alderney’s economy

Economic and

population

decline

Economic

drivers

Potential

cyclical

economic

recovery

Economic

opportunities

● The main economic drivers on Alderney have been public administration, business

services, finance, eGaming, tourism and energy.

● There are signs of recovery in a number of sectors (though not universally), driven in

part by resumed economic growth in the UK and in part by a number of initiatives

already underway. A lack of concrete, timely data makes a robust assessment difficult.

● Alderney should not rely on what may be a cyclical change to indicate structural

change in the direction of economic travel.

● There is scope for change. There are a number of economic opportunities, particularly

around tourism, business services, renewable energy and drawing on Alderney’s

recognised global strengths in regulation.

● Given its size, only one or two opportunities need to land to engender real change on

Alderney.


Key recommendations: Alderney’s economy A

lde

rne

y’s

eco

no

my

Governance

Sector-specific

recommendations

Cross-cutting

issues

● Allow Alderney to use e-gaming licence fees to fund intangible capital investments.

● Establish economic development policy capacity and overarching economic strategy in Alderney,

supported by and with close links to Guernsey. Consider role for cross-island secondments.

● Alderney and Guernsey politicians should develop a jointly-agreed position on future strategic

policy developments setting out roles and responsibilities.

● Collect, analyse and share more robust economic data.

● Dedicate additional resources to market Alderney to tourists and improve tourism data as part of

a dedicated tourism strategy.

● Continue to monitor opportunities to improve ICT connectivity (e.g. to enable eGaming servers

on-island) besides the possible FAB interconnector.

● AGCC to work with Alderney and Guernsey authorities to monitor the impact of UK and EU

regulatory reform on the eGaming sector and identify opportunities for new jobs on Alderney.

● Extend and integrate business mentoring roles of Alderney retirees, and co-ordinate with the

Guernsey skills strategy as appropriate.

● Market ease of relocation to Alderney to businesses and individuals (e.g. to those seeking UK

housing market equity release).

● Support improvements to the school as directed by the recent inspection.

● Explore scope for targeted tax incentives to attract business to Alderney (e.g. TRP, temporary

holidays from Social Insurance Contributions for new businesses).

● Identify/evaluate options to interconnect Alderney with electricity supply from France before

2020, and explore options to improve ferry connections.


Inte

rdependencie

s

● A clear economic development strategy is critical, and requires someone with the skills and expertise to

oversee it, which may require a suitable individual to be recruited to the island.

● The strategy needs to be forward-looking, setting out clear milestones and objectives against which

progress can be reviewed. Better economic data are clearly needed to assess whether objectives are being

met and the impact of particular initiatives taken forward as part of the strategy.

● Given a lack of alternative revenue streams, funding for the strategy could come from diverted use of

AGCC licence funds if agreed with Guernsey, though with clear recognition that this funding source is

uncertain and not limitless.

● Any PSO for the Alderney airport routes will clearly need to be developed alongside an economic strategy

for Alderney, since future expected economic trends will be a key input into the terms of a PSO.

● The need for collaboration between Alderney and Guernsey is central to a number of our

recommendations. There appears to be a consensus on the need for action across islands, and there is an

urgent need to increase co-operation between the islands and engender a greater sense of trust. Without

buy-in from all parties the chance of success is greatly diminished. Opportunities for closer engagement

could be identified building on e.g. the Alderney Liaison Group.

● A joint policy statement between the islands setting out mutually agreed objectives, roles and

responsibilities for delivery could help to provide buy-in, and include a framework for how future economic

opportunities for Alderney can be acted upon swiftly whilst minimising reputational risk to the Bailiwick.

Many of our recommendations should be developed jointly as part of an integrated,

targeted package focused on economic revival on Alderney


There is a clear case to improve the current airport facilities, but the current evidence

does not support an extended runway as critical to unlocking economic potential

● There is a clear case to improve current facilities so that they are in line with regulatory

standards and to reduce risks around weather- and infrastructure-related reliability.

The airport

Case to

improve current

facilities

Passenger

growth

Fleet

replacement

Price of air

travel

● There is scope for significant passenger growth within the current arrangements.

● A longer runway allowing larger planes to land would, in the absence of significant new

entry, reduce frequency of service. Frequency is clearly identified as important for

business, tourist and residential travel to and from Alderney.

● Current plans to replace the Trislander fleet with Dornier aircraft do not appear to

represent a significant threat to frequency, and would improve the quality and reliability

of the service.

● Price is recognised as an issue for air travel. It is unclear that an extended runway

would address this. Without a proven increase in demand, larger aircraft may suffer

low load factors, such that the cost per served passenger is no lower.

● New entry by other operators (opening up possible new routes) is also unlikely unless

there is proof of a significant demand increase.

We are not persuaded, on the basis of evidence gathered to date, that an extended runway at Alderney airport is

critical to unlocking economic potential in the sectors identified. The option should not be ruled out in the future

should conditions change.

● The Southampton route does not appear to be under threat even without extension. Route security


Key recommendations: Alderney airport A

ir lin

ks

The airport

● Fund improvements to the airport required to secure its regulatory compliance.

● The Treasury and Resources department of States of Guernsey should consider implementing a

Public Service Obligation (PSO) for the Alderney routes.

● Base details of the PSO (fare, frequency) on evidence about economic impact. Review terms of

the PSO regularly to ensure they reflect changes in Alderney’s economic conditions.

● Data on use of and demand for Alderney airport should be provided and analysed, including

more robust evidence on unmet demand on existing and new routes, with a view to re-examining

the case for extending the runway in the future.

● No changes should be made which preclude future extension.

The rest of the report outlines the evidence supporting the recommendations for Alderney’s economy and airport


Background

Main findings and

recommendations

Current economic

situation

Detailed findings

Sector-level

Governance


Alderney airport



Alderney’s population is both decreasing and ageing

-40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Number of residents

Ag

e, ye

ars

Alderney population pyramid, Q1 2013

Male Female

Total population: 2,080

The 2013 census found a 17% fall in

the population since the 2001 census.

The number of children aged 14 or

below fell by 50%.

Alderney’s population is more

aged compared to the UK.

Source: Guernsey government data


0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

2007 2010 2013 2016 2019 2022 2025 2028

Po

pu

lation

Year

Alderney's actual and projected population, 2007-2030

Actual population

Projected population

Assuming zero net inward migration, Alderney’s population is forecast to continue to

decline over time

Quarterly variation within years reflects

that Alderney’s population grows in

spring and summer and drops in winter.

This is driven by second home-owners

and seasonal employment.

With no net inward migration,

the population is expected to

fall by 5% by 2020 and by

12% by 2030, both relative to

2013.

Source: Guernsey government population projections, assuming zero net inward migration

There are conflicting views on the island’s actual population, which makes effective policy-making difficult and risks

anecdotal evidence trumping facts. As we understand it, the population figures differ as follows:

□ Guernsey government statistics are based on social security and education records, which may overstate the number of

residents in Alderney year-round.

□ The 2013 census estimated a population of 1,903, based on those resident as at midnight on April 28th 2013.

□ Some residents view both as an overestimate of the permanent population (perceived figures closer to 1,500 are not uncommon).

□ Regardless, the key issue is the trend in numbers and breakdown, where the Guernsey statistics paint a clear story.

In 2013, there were around 0.83

people of prime working age (20

– 59) for each person of non-

prime working age. By 2030 this

is forecast to fall to 0.55. This

emphasises the need to attract

more working-age people to

Alderney.


Alderney’s economy has declined over time, displaying signs of both structural and

cyclical decline

Source: Guernsey government data. Note: real values based on Guernsey RPI.

1,100

1,150

1,200

1,250

1,300

1,350

£0

£5,000,000

£10,000,000

£15,000,000

£20,000,000

£25,000,000

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

To

tal e

mp

loye

es

To

tal gro

ss r

em

un

era

tio

n, re

al

Real wages and employment in Alderney over time

Gross remuneration (real)

Number of Employees

Employment on Alderney has fallen from a peak in 2008. Total remuneration has grown, though more slowly than in the mid-2000s,

suggesting that employment has been falling among lower-wage professions in particular. In 2013, the average wage among

employees (total wages divided by total employment) was around £17,760.

There is no measure of GDP for Alderney, and figures on other income sources (self-employment income, corporate profits and

unearned income) are not reliably collected or are received only with a significant lag. Both self-employment income and corporate

profits appear to have declined significantly in nominal terms since 2008 (from £10.8 million to £7.5 million for self-employment

income, and from £21.9 million to £1.8 million for corporate profits), though it is not clear how far this represents measurement

difficulties (for example the move to zero corporate tax for many businesses in 2008 and delays in receiving data). However it does

suggest that the relative strength of gross remuneration does not imply there has been no significant economic decline.


0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

£0

£1,000,000

£2,000,000

£3,000,000

£4,000,000

£5,000,000

£6,000,000

£7,000,000

£8,000,000

Pub

lic a

dm

inis

tratio

n

Fin

ance

Who

lesa

le,

reta

il, r

epa

irs

Pro

fessio

nal, b

usin

ess,

scie

ntific,

tech

nic

al activitie

s

Co

nstr

uctio

n

Hoste

lry

Tra

nspo

rt, sto

rag

e

Ele

ctr

icity, g

as, ste

am

, A

/Csu

pp

ly

Hum

an h

ea

lth

, so

cia

l,ch

ari

tab

le w

ork

Adm

inis

trative

& s

up

po

rtse

rvic

es

Art

s, e

nte

rtain

me

nt,

recre

atio

n

Oth

er

se

rvic

e a

ctivitie

s

Real e

sta

te a

ctivitie

s

Ma

nufa

ctu

ring

Agri

cultu

re,

Hort

icultu

re,

Fis

hin

g,

Qua

rryin

g

Info

rma

tio

n,

co

mm

unic

atio

n

Oth

er

Edu

ca

tion

Num

be

r o

f e

mp

loye

es

Gro

ss r

em

un

era

tio

n, £

Remuneration in Alderney by sector, 2013

Gross Remuneration

Number of Employees

Alderney’s economy is predominantly service based

Source: Guernsey government data

The largest sectors in 2013 by gross remuneration

were public administration, finance, and wholesale,

retail and repairs. Hostelry is also a significant

employer.


£23,467

£12,817

£14,820

£27,739

£17,017

£10,297

£16,877

£29,509

£12,579

£14,481

£21,207

£23,265

£14,850 £16,411

£19,845 £20,457

£21,878

£9,560

£0

£5,000

£10,000

£15,000

£20,000

£25,000

£30,000

£35,000

Pub

lic a

dm

inis

tratio

n

Fin

ance

Wh

ole

sa

le,

reta

il, r

epa

irs

Pro

fessio

nal, b

usin

ess,

scie

ntific,

tech

nic

al a

ctivitie

s

Co

nstr

uctio

n

Hoste

lry

Tra

nspo

rt, sto

rag

e

Ele

ctr

icity, g

as, ste

am

, A

/Csu

pp

ly

Hum

an h

ea

lth

, so

cia

l,ch

ari

tab

le w

ork

Adm

inis

trative

& s

up

po

rtse

rvic

es

Art

s, e

nte

rtain

me

nt,

recre

atio

n

Oth

er

serv

ice a

ctivitie

s

Real e

sta

te a

ctivitie

s

Ma

nufa

ctu

ring

Agri

cultu

re,

Hort

icultu

re,

Fis

hin

g,

Qua

rryin

g

Info

rma

tio

n,

co

mm

unic

atio

n

Oth

er

Edu

ca

tion

Gro

ss r

em

un

era

tio

n p

er

em

plo

ye

e, 2

01

3

Gross remuneration per employee, 2013

Gross remuneration per employee is highest in the energy sector and professional

services, and lowest in education and hostelry

Source: Frontier analysis of Guernsey government data

Remuneration

figures for

finance appear

low. This could

reflect these data

being employees

only whereas

higher financial

sector earners

may be self

employed.


The break down of gross real remuneration over time shows trends in the

(employment) composition on Alderney since the 2008 peak in the economy

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2008 2013

Sh

are

of to

tal gro

ss r

ea

l re

mu

ne

ratio

n

Others

Human health, social andcharitable work activities

Electricity, gas, steam and airconditioning supply

Transport and storage

Hostelry

Construction

Professional, business,scientific and technicalactivitiesWholesale, retail and repairs

Finance

Public administration Public administration has grown from 27.6%

to 35.9% of remuneration: more than one in

three pounds earned on Alderney is now in

public administration.

Finance has grown from 11.1% to 13.6% of

remuneration; again, these figures exclude

self employment or corporate profit data.

The most significant falls have been in

wholesale, retail and repairs (which fell from

13.0% of remuneration in 2008 to 10.1% in

2013), and in particular construction (12.7%

to 5.5%). There is anecdotal evidence of a

recent growth in construction, in part led by

additional property sales and renovations on

the island stemming from increases in UK

house prices in the South East of England.

However these are not yet clearly reflected in

the data nor is it clear how sustainable this

recovery might be.

Hostelry has also fallen slightly, from 6.2% to

5.2% of total remuneration.


Background

Main findings and

recommendations

Current economic

situation

Detailed findings

Sector-level

Governance


Alderney airport



In this section, we set out our detailed findings for governance, specific sectors, cross-

cutting issues, and the airport

Our detailed findings and recommendations are structured as follows:

Air lin

ks

Ald

ern

ey’s

econom

y

Key economic

sectors

The airport

Issues relating to

governance

Other cross-cutting

issues

For each area, we set out:

● The current situation

● SWOT analysis

● Our policy

recommendations


Background

Main findings and

recommendations

Current economic

situation

Detailed findings

Sector-level

Governance


Alderney airport



Renewable energy

● While currently a small employer on Alderney (with the energy sector

as a whole accounting for 3% of employment according to the 2013

census), Alderney’s economic strategy aims to grow the island’s

renewable energy sector.

● The strategy aims to achieve the following:

□ self-sufficiency in renewable energy within five years; and

□ increased energy efficiency.

● The Alderney Renewable Energy Commission licences and regulates

renewable energy in Alderney and its territorial waters.

● Alderney Renewable Energy Ltd (ARE) has been licensed to develop a

300MW tidal farm in Alderney’s waters.

● Licence fees from ARE also contribute to subsidising on-island energy

costs, estimated at around 2-3p/kWh, approximately 6-10% of

Alderney’s electricity price in 2013.

● ARE is also developing an interconnector (the FAB Link) which would

enable Alderney to export tidal energy and import power from France

and Britain.

The current situation

Renewable

energy is

currently

small, and

Alderney has

put in place

regulation to

enable

available

renewable

resources to

be developed


SWOT analysis: renewable energy

Strengths

● Alderney has substantial renewable energy

resources available.

● A regulatory regime is in place to enable resources

to be developed and there is political support.

● Developing this sector is consistent with strategic

priorities of protecting and promoting the

environment.

Helpful Harmful

Inte

rnal fa

cto

rs t

o

Ald

ern

ey

Exte

rnal fa

cto

rs

Weaknesses

● The required skills base and scale is not available in

Alderney - most of the employment benefits from

the tidal power project are expected to be in

France.

● Policy capability is lacking, e.g. to deliver detailed

impact assessments for the potential in terms of

jobs and growth.

Opportunities

● Developing tidal power and the FAB interconnector

offers economic and job opportunities in Alderney

(e.g. research opportunities and administration).

● Alderney is only likely to capture a small part of the

economic return, but the potential rewards are

large, including the potential for licensing revenues.

● Working with France on the project could develop

new tourism markets.

● By reducing electricity prices and improving ICT

connectivity, FAB could increase Alderney’s

competitiveness as a business location.

Threats

● Timescales are long and uncertain (with

deployment and interconnection not before 2020).

Previous estimates of when results would be

delivered have been missed, leading to some

scepticism among businesses on Alderney.

● Risks include technology and regulatory risk, as the

tidal and interconnector projects are reliant on

successful piloting of the technology, and regulatory

approval from France and Britain (e.g. market

access).

There is an opportunity for Alderney to develop a renewable energy sector based around tidal energy exported to

the UK and France. However, the project is uncertain and the benefits would not be realised until after 2020.


0

100

200

300

400

500

600

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

To

urist b

ed

s in A

lde

rne

y

SelfCatering

GuestHouses

Hotels

Tourism

● Alderney’s tourism sector has declined in recent years. The decline is likely to

reflect both cyclical (UK recession) and long-term drivers.

● Living Islands aims to contribute to the island’s economic growth, while supporting

and protecting Alderney’s natural environment and historic heritage. It is targeting a

set of groups/niches that Alderney appeals to. However, funding runs out soon.

The project is funded for two years by the States of Alderney and the Royal Society

of Wildlife Trusts.

● Tourism is partly an enabling sector: it contributes to maintaining the high street

and facilities on-island which also attract residents and workers in other sectors.

● The majority of tourists travel from the UK (72% in 2011), over half arriving by air

from Southampton (Island Analysis, 2011).


Tourism in

Alderney has

declined, and

a programme

is in place to

develop the

sector

Source: Alderney Economic Data Report, 2014

Number and type of tourist beds in Alderney

Capacity fell by

32% between

2007 and 2014.

This is similar

to the decline

seen in

Guernsey.


SWOT analysis: tourism

Strengths

● Alderney appeals to visitors, offering safety, quiet,

history/heritage, wildlife, natural beauty, and being

‘off the beaten track’.

● Living Islands is rebuilding tourism to Alderney.

There is anecdotal evidence this is having an effect.

● Amenities associated with tourism help to attract

other business and residents.

● Closed tourist infrastructure could be brought back

into service.

Helpful Harmful

Inte

rnal fa

cto

rs t

o

Ald

ern

ey

Exte

rnal fa

cto

rs

Weaknesses ● The price of air travel is cited as a barrier, as is the need to

arrive by Trislander which may put off some tourists.

● Passenger ferry services to Alderney are very limited, in part

because of the nature of tides around the island. Demand may

be insufficient to sustain ferry services without subsidy.

● The number of tourist beds has fallen. In the short-term, this

limits the capacity to meet greater demand. However there is

limited tourism data available, e.g. origin airport of visitors,

occupancy data, unmet demand for travel.

● Although a number of initiatives to boost tourism are being

taken forward there is some sense of them not being as well

co-ordinated as they could be.

Opportunities

● Global tourism is expected to grow by 4.2% p.a. from 2014-

2024 (WTTC, 2014).

● There is anecdotal evidence of pent-up demand to visit

Alderney (e.g. from France, Jersey) though this is contested

and there is a lack of analysis about the scale and what new

transport connections this could sustain in the long-term.

● There are substantial opportunities to grow tourism: increasing

awareness of Alderney, developing/renovating tourist

attractions, extending the season (particularly around wildlife),

developing new niches (e.g. charter angling, eco-tourism

around renewables); and broadening transport options.

Threats

● Awareness of Alderney is low, which can result in

reliance on repeat visits.

● A lack of data on tourism demand may inhibit a supply

side response (re-opening hotels/ developing new

tourism capacity) to increasing visitor numbers since

investors may not be confident about the opportunities.

● Funding for Living Islands runs out in a year, raising a

risk for continuity and momentum (including e.g.

baseline data collected not being followed up).

There are substantial opportunities to develop Alderney’s tourism sector and increase visitor numbers. This could

build on the success of the Living Islands programme.


eGaming

● 52 companies were licensed by the AGCC in 2013, a small fall from 56

in 2012. Revenue from licensing eGaming is paid by the AGCC to

Alderney (minus AGCC’s costs), and is typically £1-2million per annum.

● In 2011, gross eGaming revenue in the UK was £1.71bn.

● Alderney-based companies serving the UK market include Rank and

NetPlay. Alderney was

a world leader

in developing

regulation for

eGaming, and

continues to

earn

substantial

licensing

revenues 56%

15%

11%

8%

10%

Gibraltar

Isle of Man

Alderney

UK

Others

Source: Gambling Data Report, 2012

UK derived revenue (gross gaming yield) by domicile

£190m of revenue for

UK online gambling

was from Alderney

based companies, 11%

of receipts in 2011 (the

latest year for which

data are available).



SWOT analysis: eGaming

Helpful Harmful

There is uncertainty over future growth in the eGaming industry, in part due to regulatory and tax changes.

Current licensing revenues provide a valuable resource for Alderney.

Strengths

● Alderney has built a strong regulatory brand

through the AGCC in the eGaming sector.

The AGCC is seen as world-leading.

● eGaming businesses are able to be licensed

in Alderney, though servers and jobs are

typically found on Guernsey.

● AGCC licence revenues are a valuable

revenue resource for Alderney.

Inte

rnal fa

cto

rs t

o

Ald

ern

ey

Exte

rnal fa

cto

rs

Weaknesses

● Jobs in Alderney associated with eGaming

are limited, due to the size of Alderney’s

economy and associated infrastructure (e.g.

ICT connectivity). eGaming jobs on

Alderney mostly revolve around licensing

and company formation services.

● There are fears that future licence fees

could fall significantly.

Opportunities

● There is an opportunity to attract additional

licensees and additional eGaming jobs to Alderney.

● This is particularly true for EU countries who may

follow a UK model of allowing regulation in Alderney

to stand in place of national-based regulation.

● Alderney could expand its regulatory activities into

additional areas where ‘gold-plated’ regulation is

perceived as an advantage (e.g. virtual currencies,

financial spread betting, online payment systems).

Threats

● There is uncertainty over the likely impact of tax and regulatory

reforms on the eGaming sector in Alderney.

● Increased regulation and taxation of eGaming in the country where

gambling occurs could drive activity back onshore.

● However if companies wish to try and recover additional tax

advantages of being regulated in Alderney (zero VAT and corporate

tax) to offset increased payment of gambling duties in the UK, they

may have to carry out more real activity associated with eGaming in

the Bailiwick, with some potential for Alderney to benefit.

● Given the size of Alderney’s economy, a decline in the sector could

have a major economic impact. This increases the need to diversify

Alderney’s economy.


Financial services

● Financial services is the second largest sector of Alderney’s economy

(in employment terms) after public administration.

● However, remuneration per employee in financial services is

comparatively low (using Guernsey government data). This is

unexpected, given that the sector is typically associated with

comparatively high remuneration.

● The low remuneration could reflect a large number of administrative

jobs within the sector, and/or a high degree of self-employment

amongst those with higher earnings working in financial services.

● Financial services sector activity in Alderney is not concentrated within

a single niche, though Alderney is seen as relatively more active in

trust management.


Financial

services are

an important

sector in

Alderney,

benefiting

from the low

tax regime


SWOT analysis: financial services

Helpful Harmful

There is an opportunity to attract additional financial services sector activity to Alderney. This could focus on

emerging financial services where innovative, high quality, regulation is required.

Strengths

● Financial services is currently one of

Alderney’s main employers.

● Alderney’s low tax regime and ease of

relocation is attractive to financial services

businesses.

Inte

rnal fa

cto

rs t

o

Ald

ern

ey

Exte

rnal fa

cto

rs

Weaknesses

● The cost of dedicated ICT connectivity (i.e. a

private connection) in Alderney is high.

● A lack of ancillary/business support services

in Alderney raises the costs of doing

business.

● Attracting businesses with limited presence

on or commitment to the island could bring

only revenue benefits, rather than new jobs.

Opportunities

● There are opportunities to attract additional financial

services sector activity to Alderney, including recent

interest from PWC in developing an Anti Money

Laundering/Know Your Customer centre on the

island (focused on financial security services).

● Alderney could build on its reputation for innovative,

high quality, regulation by developing a regulatory

framework around other emerging financial services

(e.g. virtual currencies, financial spread betting).

This could attract new financial services business.

Threats

● There are reputational risks associated with

attracting businesses in emerging financial

services markets without established

governance.


Digital industries

● The digital sector is not currently a large part of Alderney’s economy.

● In the past, the island hosted a data centre while the eGaming sector

was emerging. Currently there is not demand to reopen this.

● Guernsey’s economic development framework defined the digital

sector as including:

□ IT support services;

□ software developers;

□ web developers;

□ data centres; and

□ telecoms operators.


While the

digital sector

is not currently

a large part of

Alderney’s

economy,

there are

opportunities

for growth


SWOT analysis: digital industries

Helpful Harmful

There is an opportunity for Alderney to build on success in eGaming and financial services by expanding into

digital industries.

Strengths

● Alderney benefits from a strong regulatory

reputation in the eGaming sector. This could benefit

it in attracting businesses in digital industries and

being able to develop appropriate regulation.

● Basic ICT infrastructure is good: household and

basic business internet speeds are on average

higher than those on Guernsey at the same cost.

● There is a (now defunct) data centre on Alderney

which could be brought back to service quickly,

though it was previously not well-utilised.

Inte

rnal fa

cto

rs t

o

Ald

ern

ey

Exte

rnal fa

cto

rs

Weaknesses

● These are as for the financial services sector, in

particular around dedicated ICT connectivity which, if

required, comes at a much higher cost than on

Guernsey. Options to develop ICT capacity beyond the

FAB interconnector have been explored but appear

prohibitively expensive.

● The skills required to develop this sector may not

currently be available in Alderney.

● High electricity prices are a barrier to developing

businesses with high power consumption.

Opportunities

● Guernsey’s economic strategy identifies an

opportunity to leverage success in eGaming

and financial services by expanding into

digital industries.

● This could also apply to Alderney, e.g.

hosting data centres/ ICT support services.

● Developing this sector would help to

diversify Alderney’s economy.

Threats

● As for a number of sectors, there are risks

around longevity of new sectors attracted to

Alderney, e.g. pending future regulatory

reforms outside of the control of Alderney or

the wider Bailiwick.


Recommendations: sector-specific issues

Opportunity to develop tidal

power and an interconnector

to France and Britain

Support renewable potential

being realised (reduce prices

and develop ICT capability)

● Monitor economic impact to Alderney of planned development,

including the number of potential jobs.

● Work to ensure realistic timeframe for delivery and measurable

goals/objectives. Ensure communication with business community on

progress and expected impact.

There are opportunities to

boost tourism

Increase tourism to Alderney

by raising awareness,

extending the season,

bringing unused facilities

back into use, and potentially

developing attractions

● Given the sector’s importance, a dedicated tourism strategy may be

needed. This could be separate to or part of a wider economic

development strategy, but should be taken forward by an identified

individual with the requisite skills and experience.

● Dedicate additional marketing resources to tourism, with a key focus on

raising awareness in SE England.

● Explore opportunities for corporate sponsorship to re-develop on-island

tourist attractions, and identify low-cost investments which could have

largest impact on tourist demand (e.g. developing existing harbour).

● Build on success of Living Islands, e.g. in fostering co-ordinated approach,

data collection and marketing.

● Improve data on tourism (e.g. data sharing from Aurigny, entry/exit surveys

at airport, measures of potential unmet demand, use of tourist facilities and

beds) and provide information for potential investors in unused facilities.

Potential to expand financial

and knowledge-based

services but costly dedicated

high-speed ICT connections

Facilitate growth of these

sectors in Alderney and

explore options to improve

ICT connectivity

● Actions identified around marketing, connectivity, and improving policy

coordination and support (see cross-cutting issues).

● Continue to monitor opportunities to improve ICT connectivity other

than through the FAB interconnector, and ensure that plans are in place

to provide connectivity through the interconnector should it go ahead.

Issue Policy recommendations Objective

● AGCC, Alderney and Guernsey should ensure impact of regulatory/tax

reform in the EU in terms of location of activity is understood and steps

put in place to mitigate any threats or exploit opportunities for Alderney

and wider Bailiwick.

Regulatory reforms in

eGaming could offer job

potential, though very

uncertain

Draw on AGCC reputation,

identify scope for jobs on

Alderney


Background

Main findings and

recommendations

Current economic

situation

Detailed findings

Sector-level

Governance


Alderney airport



Governance

● Public administration is the largest employer on Alderney, but the “civil service” is small.

● The States of Alderney has 10 members, with two representatives also sent to the States of

Guernsey. The Alderney Liaison Group was recently formed as a bridge in policy-making between

the islands.

● Under the 1948 Agreement, the States of Alderney has law-making powers other than law and order

and transferred services from Guernsey (health, police services and education being the most

significant). Alderney pays taxes at the same rate as Guernsey into the general Bailiwick fund.

● For the last decade or so, an arrangement has been in place under which Alderney is able to use

revenues from AGCC licence fees to pay for capital infrastructure investments, replacing a previous

grant-based scheme. Projects still need to meet approval from Guernsey and be supported by a

clear case for investment. Only capital infrastructure is in general allowed, and Bailiwick-wide

procurement procedures need to be followed.


Alderney has

its own

government,

but strong

policy links to

Guernsey

based on the

1948

agreement


Speed of decision making and willingness to take risks are strengths of Alderney’s

governance

S W O T

● Putting systems in place to safeguard the

Bailiwick’s reputation with respect to new

opportunities while retaining quick movement

in Alderney could increase the attractiveness

of doing business in Alderney across sectors.

● This safeguarding is already in place for e-

gaming where there is an agreement

between the Alderney and Guernsey

governments allowing for speedy adoption of

new regulations. The AGCC is widely

regarded as world-leading.

● However, the longevity of new sectors

attracted to Alderney can be highly uncertain

(e.g. depending on external regulation such

as LVCR).1

● The small size of Alderney’s government

means it is able to make decisions quickly,

which is a benefit for businesses looking to

locate in Alderney.

● Alderney is willing and able to take risks in

new, unestablished, sectors, enabling the

Bailiwick to benefit from new opportunities

while protecting Guernsey's reputation.

● However, decisions still need buy-in and

approval from Guernsey in most cases to be

taken forward (including States approval)

which can slow down processes. There is

also some concern about possible Bailiwick-

wide reputational risks from taking forward

risky ideas (e.g. around new areas of

financial regulation, building on the

AGCC/eGaming experience).

Issues Our assessment

1. Low Value Consignment Relief (LVCR) enabled low value items to be exported from the Channel Islands to the UK without paying VAT.

It resulted in a ‘fulfilment’ industry in the Channel Islands (e.g. AceParts in Alderney). LVCR was removed by HMRC in 2012, resulting in the industry leaving.


Lack of capacity to implement an economic strategy is a weakness, along with a lack of

autonomy on use of eGaming licence fees

S W O T

● Developing an economic capacity to capitalise on new

opportunities in Alderney could have a high impact, ensuring

follow-up of enquiries and better co-ordination on Alderney and

between Alderney and Guernsey.

● Developing an overarching strategy will require funding and

increased autonomy over finances.

● With AGCC license fees currently £1-2m per annum, there is a

high potential value to Alderney’s economy of allowing it to

invest in innovation and intangible assets (including an

economic development capacity). Alderney struggles to use the

existing revenues to pay for capital investments because of a

lack of capacity to deliver programmes of that scale. There is

also a lack of alternative funding sources (e.g. EU, Lottery).

□ Our understanding is that there is already a process in place

through the States of Guernsey Budget process to allow

Alderney to use some of the license fees over three years to

develop an economic development capability.

□ Agreement in principle that Alderney should be able to use

licence fees for intangible capital investments could be sought

to reduce the procurement and other processes that need to be

followed to allow investments to occur, though a clear business

case would still need to be made. Alderney needs the capacity

to be able to make a better economic case for investments and

could work with Guernsey to be able to do this.

● There is a perception of a lack of trust between Alderney and

Guernsey, though stakeholder engagement on both islands

found a very high level of common agreement on the issues

and opportunities.

● Closer working between the islands would help to increase trust

and make more effective, co-ordinated policy.

● Some stakeholders have found a lack of policy

coordination a barrier to potential economic

development. This relates to co-ordination both

between Guernsey and Alderney, and within

Alderney itself.

□ Schemes to market Alderney as a destination to

live, for example, had been taken forward by the

Alderney Enterprise Group (AEG) without any

awareness of what was being pursued by the

Chamber of Commerce or the Alderney Liaison

Group.

● The small scale of Alderney’s civil service means

there is a lack of strategic policy-making capacity

around economic development (including tourism).

There is a lack of a single figure who can co-ordinate

and implement an economic strategy and take

responsibility for delivery. This is seen as a barrier to

effecting genuine change and innovation.

● Alderney has a lack of autonomy in how it spends

revenue from e-gambling license fees. A restrictive

definition of capital investment (allowing tangible

capital only), prevents potentially valuable

investment in intangible assets.



A lack of economic data also acts as a barrier to effective policy making S W O T

● Improving the accuracy and availability of data is central

to setting and monitoring appropriate policy.

● A lack of a clear economic baseline will make it hard to

know whether any policy strategies designed to improve

the economic situation on Alderney are effective.

● Data are required on a regular basis, so that trends can

be identified. Timely data are vital.

● Opportunities for additional data collection include routine

data sharing from Aurigny on demand for passenger

services, from the Chamber of Commerce regarding

vacancies and from land registry or estate agents on

house sales.

● Vacancy information could be shared with those already

trying to recruit workers to the island (e.g. the AEG).

● There is a keenness on Alderney for more transparent

data on tax revenue flows from Alderney to Guernsey and

the value of service provision from Guernsey to Alderney.

Economically, it is not clear that whether Alderney is a net

contributor or not to the wider Bailiwick matters – regional

redistribution is a normal feature of areas sharing fiscal

union. However as a way to engender trust more

transparent information on these flows could be useful.

● Better data on transferred services could also help those

on Alderney identify opportunities for efficiency savings in

their delivery on Alderney.

● There is a lack of good economic data on Alderney on

which to base policy and measure the impact of any

development or other strategy.

□ There is no separate GDP data, meaning it is hard

to accurately measure trends in economic activity

and its composition over time. A move to European

standards of GDP accounting could address this

going forward but there will be a need for a reliable

baseline measure against which to evaluate the

impact of policy measures.

□ There is no separate price and inflation measure for

Alderney, and Alderney data are not part of the

Guernsey RPI. Differences in the cost of living and

doing business on Alderney and Guernsey are

therefore anecdotal, and it is hard to evaluate how

effective policy interventions might be.

□ There is no formal registration of residents leading

to uncertainty over population. We understand that

Guernsey is moving to a rolling census programme

but it is not clear whether this will cover Alderney.

□ As discussed in the sector-level analysis, there is a

lack of good data on tourism, a critical industry.

□ Job vacancies are not routinely known about and

the skills required to fill them are not advertised to

see whether there is capacity to fill posts on-island.



Recommendations: governance

Lack of good economic data

on Alderney

Improve economic data

available to policymakers by

collecting new data and

sharing existing data

● Collect and analyse more robust economic data pertaining to Alderney;

and routinely share data between Guernsey and Alderney.

● Identify opportunities to obtain data from corporate and other sources

and ensure it is shared as necessary (with appropriate safeguarding in

place) with policymakers on Guernsey and Alderney.

Lack of capacity to

prepare/implement a

coordinated economic

strategy in Alderney

Build policy capacity in

Alderney, based around an

underlying economic strategy

● Establish an economic development policy capacity and coordinator in

Alderney, supported by and with close links to Guernsey.

● An economic development strategy, building on the existing Strategic Plan,

should be implemented with the identified coordinator responsible for delivery.

Funding could come from AGCC revenues if agreed, though options such as

the Guernsey Strategic Investment Fund should also be explored.

● The strategy should be forward looking. including clear policy actions,

objectives, timetables for delivery and an approach to evaluating the impact of

the actions taken. It should include a clear focus on jobs potential as well as

revenue potential.

● The potential for secondment between Alderney and Guernsey civil servants

should be explored.

Lack of autonomy over

Alderney’s use of eGaming

revenue

Enable Alderney’s

government to invest

eGaming revenue to

maximise economic

opportunities

● Agreement should be reached that some portion of AGCC revenues

can be used for intangible investments with different procurement and

economic/business case rules put in place to do so. This should not

need primary legislation.

● Rules over what is in scope and not could be agreed between Alderney

and Guernsey along with a set of criteria for approval and monitoring of

the impacts of any investments through a clear economic framework.

Alderney’s government able

to move quickly and willing to

take risks

Enable Alderney to capitalise

on new opportunities while

safeguarding reputation of

wider Bailiwick

● A Memorandum of Understanding or joint policy statement between Alderney

and Guernsey should be agreed, drawing the experience of the AGCC. This

would set out a framework for how strategic policy opportunities will be

followed-up, including a clear set of roles and responsibilities across islands.

● The ALG is already established as a joint forum; consideration should be given

to its role in co-ordinating policy responses across islands.

Policy recommendation Objective Issue


Background

Main findings and

recommendations

Current economic

situation

Detailed findings

Sector-level

Governance


Alderney airport



Cross-cutting issues

● Alderney is a small island economy reliant on another small island and

with limited connectivity.

● Lack of scale increases the cost of serving Alderney’s economy,

increasing the cost of transporting people and goods to the island and

limiting the extent to which businesses can grow (at least while

remaining on the island).

● Relative isolation can also reduce the attraction of living or working on

Alderney, though of course this can be a benefit to some groups who

value the quiet and safety of the island in particular.

● However the low-tax regime on Alderney (shared with Guernsey) and

the relatively free ability to live and work there (compared to Guernsey)

are strengths which could appeal to a number of potential businesses

and residents.


Alderney is a

small-island

economy and

relatively

isolated which

poses

challenges,

though the

island has a

number of

advantages


Alderney benefits from a skilled, retired workforce that is able to nurture new

businesses, as well as low restrictions on relocation…

S W O T

● There is scope to extend mentoring roles of Alderney

retirees to those starting up or moving businesses to

Alderney, and current programmes offering support

to entrepreneurs.

● This could be integrated:

□ into programmes to attract new businesses/

residents including a wider economic development

strategy;

□ with existing institutions (e.g. Chambers of

Commerce); and

□ with the Guernsey skills strategy.

● There is a need to ensure that the experiences and

skills of those on the island are pertinent to the

current issues facing Alderney.

● This could increase the attractiveness of doing

business in Alderney across sectors, contributing to

reversing population decline.

● Linking in the ease of relocating to Alderney to

awareness-building about Alderney amongst

businesses and people that could relocate to

Alderney could also address barriers.

● Alderney has a number of retired,

experienced business people who are willing

and able to help nurture new businesses,

provide advice. This is a valuable resource.

● There are low restrictions on the ability to live

and work in Alderney, and there is high

availability of homes on the market, making it

easy to relocate. House prices are lower than

on Guernsey (though incomes are also lower,

on average).



…however it also has limited on-island amenities and services, a limited skills base,

and difficulties attracting staff to relocate

S W O T

● Limited amenities and services act as a significant barrier to

recruitment, and therefore to reversing depopulation. This could in part

be addressed by supporting programmes designed to increase

number and range of cultural activities/events on Alderney.

● Improving services such as the school may reduce recruitment

barriers, particularly for younger people and families. Engaging with

the Guernsey skills strategy could help address skills shortages in

Alderney.

● Improving ferry services could have a high impact on tourism,

particularly by diversifying the places from which tourists can travel

directly to Alderney (e.g. meeting demand from Jersey). There is a risk

around demand being insufficient for ferry operators to serve

Alderney.

● Interconnection (via FAB or otherwise) would significantly reduce

energy costs.

● A lack of data makes any assessment of relative costs of living and

doing business difficult.

● There may be options to reduce costs of living or doing business on

Alderney relative to Guernsey, such as reduced rates of TRP, or short-

term exemptions from Social Insurance Contributions for new

business.

□ Separating aspects of the tax regime may be feasible given the clear

geographic distinction between Alderney and Guernsey.

□ Reduced rates of TRP would likely increase house prices or rents,

benefitting existing property owners but having limited impact on new

movers. This is because the tax incidence is likely to fall on owners

given relatively inelastic supply.

□ Other options may give stronger incentives to locate on Alderney but

would need to be assessed carefully in terms of impact (e.g. they could

simply see some businesses relocate temporarily from Guernsey to

take advantage of short-term tax cuts).

● Due to its small size, on-island amenities (e.g.

leisure or cultural facilities) are limited. In addition,

services such as the school are small, there is no

further education opportunity and a limited amount of

emergency healthcare provision.

● The school was recently found to require

management and learning improvements by the

Guernsey Education Department. The inspection

directed the school to improve its management/

leadership and the consistency of teaching and

learning.

● There are difficulties attracting people to relocate to

work in Alderney, and some difficulties filling

professional roles on-island.

● Ferry services to Alderney are currently very limited,

effectively limiting transport to air-only.

● Electricity costs are relatively high due to a lack of

interconnection and a reliance on fossil fuels.

● Costs of living are thought to be higher on Alderney,

driven by extra shipping costs. This can also raise

the cost of doing business (though wages and rents

are typically lower).



Recommendations: cross-cutting issues

Passenger sea connectivity is

limited

Secure ferry connection to

Alderney to enable greater

tourist connectivity

● Explore options (consistent with existing arrangements) to

improve ferry connections. This could include changing structure

of landing fees (placing a greater weight on marginal per-

passenger costs than fixed landing costs).

Businesses in Alderney have

difficulties attracting staff or

filling posts on-island with

suitably-skilled workers

Increase the mentoring

support available to those

relocating to work in Alderney,

and support improved skills

within the island’s existing

workforce

● Extend business mentoring roles of Alderney retirees.

● Integrate mentoring with existing programmes and

institutions.

● Engage with the Guernsey skills strategy.

High electricity prices and

high costs of non-FAB

interconnection options

Explore options to reduce

electricity prices

● Market ease of relocation to businesses/people that may

relocate. Target those seeking to use UK housing market equity

(particularly in the South East close to Southampton).

● Explore scope for reducing TRP or other taxes on Alderney but

ensure a proper assessment of options is made.

● Support improvements to the school as directed by the recent

inspection, and programmes to increase number and range of

cultural activities in Alderney.

Lack of attractiveness of

relocation to Alderney,

perceptions of high cost of

living and doing business in

general

Market Alderney’s

comparative advantage and

address limitations of

amenities and services

● We understand that previous estimates of alternative

interconnection options (e.g. linking interconnection to

Guernsey) have shown costs to be very high.

● Continue to monitor options should costs fall in the future.

Issue Policy recommendation Objective


Background

Main findings and

recommendations

Current economic

situation

Detailed findings

Sector-level

Governance


Alderney airport



Air connectivity

● Air connectivity is central to transport to and from Alderney, and is therefore a

critical driver of economic potential on the island, including transport of residents,

tourists, temporary workers, goods and post.

● This is because the potential for alternative passenger services is low due to its

island location and limited potential for ferry services.

● There is also reliance on air travel for medical emergencies given the limited health

facilities in Alderney. This includes medevac flights.

● Since 2011, Alderney has been served only by Aurigny (other than general aviation

and occasional charter flights). Aurigny suggest that the Alderney routes are

currently loss-making (around £900,000 per year). There is an implicit subsidy of

the Alderney routes coming from the profitable Gatwick-Guernsey route.

● Aurigny services connections between Alderney-Guernsey and Alderney-

Southampton using a fleet of (currently) three Trislanders which seat 14

passengers. Services to both destinations are regular each day, but are subject to

disruption (especially in winter), are seen to be expensive and can be fully booked

well ahead of time for some key periods (weekends, summer). Aurigny is able to

run additional services at peak times (e.g. around Alderney week).

● On Alderney, connectivity to both Guernsey and the UK is perceived as vital

(“lifeline”), but at present only the service between Guernsey and Alderney is

recognised as a “lifeline” route imposing a minimum service obligation on Aurigny.

● The need for a frequent, reliable service is often cited as a critical factor in

Alderney’s air connectivity. The price of the service also clearly matters for

demand.


Alderney is

reliant on air

connectivity


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nge

rs

Airport passengers using Alderney airport, 2003-13

Passengers using Alderney’s airport grew between 2003 and 2007, and have since

fallen

Passengers

using

Alderney

airport have

fallen by

13% since

2003 Passenger numbers to

Alderney grew to 2007,

and have declined since Blue Islands pulled out of flying to

Alderney in 2011. Aurigny has since

been the only airline serving the

island.



By comparison, the number of passengers using Guernsey’s airport have also fallen in

recent years, but by a smaller percentage

Passenger numbers are expressed as an index (set to 100 in 2003) rather

than as levels given the very different absolute numbers at different islands (in

2013, Jersey had 1.43 million passengers compared to 63,000 on Alderney)

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Pa

sse

nge

r n

um

be

r in

de

x (

20

03

= 1

00

)

Alderney Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey

There has been a recent decline at all the Channel

Islands but most significant for Alderney. The Isle of

Man has recently seen passenger numbers rise.



The current state of the airport is a weakness, and improvements are required to

ensure regulatory compliance

S W O T

● Although popular with some visitors and residents, the Trislander

planes do appear to be a barrier to getting some tourists and

potential residents to Alderney with anecdotal evidence of

passengers being unwilling to fly.

● Under current proposals, the service is set to improve due to

investment in making the airport compliant, and new planes being

introduced, with the following impacts:

□ The frequency of the service is expected to remain the same.

□ Safety, reliability, comfort, speed, and passenger and baggage

capacity will increase.

□ The scope for smaller private planes is expected to be

maintained (though this may be affected by decisions regarding

the 2nd grass runway). Flights from private aviation are down on

previous peaks from the early 2000s and suffered a significant

fall in 2012, though rebounded slightly in 2013. Private flights

from wealthy individuals could attract additional income.

● Currently many flights are empty or near-empty one-way, especially

in the case of extra capacity provided at peak such as Alderney

Week. This makes load factors of ~50% the maximum available.

● Dorniers have slightly larger capacity (around 18-19 passengers

compared to 14 on the Trislander). A fleet of three Dorniers will

therefore be able to transport a slightly larger volume of passengers

than at present. There would be scope to further increase frequency

(and thus capacity) within the current airport arrangements.

● Reliability will increase owing to the Dornier being able to land in

higher crosswinds than the Trislander.

● Options to improve the airport to ensure compliance are

currently being explored by the States of Guernsey.

● Mott McDonald recommended (as at March 2014):

□ Repairing the asphalt runway, improving drainage,

widening a section, and paving part of the runway.

□ Replacing the subsurface of the long grass runway and

improving drainage.

● Aurigny is introducing new Dornier planes for the

Alderney routes. The Trislanders will be scrapped. The

Dornier planes are not planned to be spread across a

larger number of routes on a regular basis than the

current routes served by Trislanders.

● There is uncertainty about the precise timing of the

introduction of Dorniers, partly driven by difficulties in

sourcing the aircraft. Timetables have slipped,

generating some uncertainties.



Alderney’s current air links lack transparency and certainty over their future S W O T

● Neither route to Alderney is currently at obvious risk

of withdrawal. This would require Aurigny to seek

approval from the States of Guernsey, which it is

understood would not be provided.

● The financial savings to Aurigny from ending the

Southampton route may not be very large, despite

Alderney services operating at a loss (estimated at

around £900k per year, with additional losses

sustained at Alderney airport).

● However, the lack of transparency around lifeline

routes and their status creates uncertainty, which

could act as a barrier to businesses.

● In addition, the current arrangements prevent

economic policy considerations from being explicitly

incorporated into the requirements of the service.

● This is compounded by the lack of clarity around the

implicit subsidy associated with the Alderney routes,

leading to some scepticism about the size of the

losses incurred.

● New planes will slightly increase capacity on each

flight, but peak services are still likely to be booked

well in advance. This could be an issue for

businesses/individuals looking to move to Alderney.

● Aurigny is wholly owned by the States of Guernsey.

It is currently obliged to maintain ‘lifeline’ services,

and to move towards breakeven across its full

operation.

● The current arrangements result in a lack of

transparency and certainty over the future of the

service, as:

□ lifeline status does not impose any constraint

on Aurigny other than a requirement to run the

service; and

□ there is also a lack of clarity around which

Alderney routes are considered ‘lifeline.’

Aurigny and T&R consider only Alderney-

Guernsey as a lifeline route. Alderney –

Southampton is also considered lifeline by

Alderney residents.

● Some peak flights can be booked well in advance,

limiting the ability of people to travel at short notice.

● Price of travel was seen as an issue by tourists on

Alderney. Given they have chosen to meet those

costs, it is likely to be a larger issue for those who do

not travel. However there is a lack of evidence on

the latter point. Further it is unclear that any

proposals will have a significant impact on price.



There is an opportunity to extend the runway to accommodate larger planes, however

there is not currently an economic case for this

S W O T

● The Requête proposed a runway extension.

● Extending the runway to enable ATR-42 planes to

land in Alderney has been considered from an

engineering perspective in TPS’s work parallel to this

study. The costs of this extension are not yet known.

● Businesses we engaged with did not view a lack of

larger planes serving Alderney as an important

barrier to their business in Alderney.

● Outside the Guernsey and Southampton routes,

there is scope to charter services from other routes

at peak periods, though the costs of this are high.

● Previous trials of services to Jersey suggested high

demand (high load factors), but may have been

keenly priced and subject to a novelty appeal;

whether there is a long-term demand for these

routes is less clear. It is not clear what work has

been done to scope serious potential for new routes

by Aurigny or by Guernsey.


● A longer runway would allow larger ATR-42 aircraft to

land on Alderney and appears to be technically feasible.

● This could open up opportunities for new operators to

service Alderney.

● However, an extended runway is not essential to

reversing Alderney’s economic and population decline:

□ Moving to ATR-42 planes would reduce the frequency

of the service to Alderney. Frequency is seen as of

central importance to passengers. This could reduce

demand, e.g. due to connecting flights from the UK to

Guernsey becoming impractical.

□ There is substantial spare capacity which could be

used to increase flights in the event of higher demand

(illustrated by a greater number of flights offered

during Alderney Week and public holidays). Around

70% load factors are needed to cover costs.

□ The barrier to increasing flights (either on existing

routes or new routes) is a lack of demand (including

the extent to which there is demand for a flight on its

route in and out of Alderney). Currently there is not

sufficient demand to necessitate larger planes. It is not

clear that demand would increase in the event of an

extended runway.


We assessed the impact of runway extension on price, quality and reliability,

frequency, and routes, under three scenarios

Price Quality and

reliability Frequency Routes

Current proposals

(Dornier introduction,

improved runway)

Runway extension,

demand static or

increasing slightly,

ATR-42s introduced

Runway extension,

large increase in

demand above levels

previously seen

Unlikely to fall No change No change

No change

Unclear, would

depend on possible

entry

Unclear, would

depend on possible

entry

Potential to

increase, though

profitability

concerns

S W O T

● The price of flights to/from Alderney is unlikely to fall under current proposals, and may increase with ATR-42s at current demand due to

higher costs and lower load factors (meaning the cost per seat sold is no lower, and may be higher, with larger aircraft).

● Quality and reliability of flights is set to increase under current proposals (Dornier are more ‘traditional looking’ aircraft than Trislanders and

less subject to weather-related delays). This increase would be greater with use of ATR-42s.

● Flight frequency would not change under current proposals, and would fall with use of ATR-42s without a significant demand increase, as

fewer flights would be required to meet demand.

● Routes are likely to remain unchanged without a large increase in demand. ATR-42 planes could increase the scope for additional routes, but

current routes are making a loss with smaller planes, calling the feasibility of additional routes into question.

Scenario


Recommendations: airport

Policy recommendations Objective

Improvements are required to

the airport to ensure

regulatory compliance

Make the improvements

required to secure

compliance

● Fund improvements to the airport required to secure its regulatory compliance.

● This is being explored in parallel to this study.

Uncertainty around future of

air transport links, which

Alderney’s economy relies on

Secure air transport links in a

transparent way consistent

with economic objectives for

Alderney; minimise risk that

uncertainty acts as a barrier

to businesses or residents

being willing to move to

Alderney

● The Treasury and Resources department of States of Guernsey should consider a

Public Service Obligation (PSO) for the Alderney routes. This would commit

Aurigny to running the service and allow for a more transparent process of

subsidising the Alderney service.

● Details of the PSO (fare, frequency, routes, data requirements, peak-time service

obligations) should be agreed between the States of Guernsey and Alderney on

the basis of clear evidence about the likely cost and economic impact of different

policy options. Other stakeholders (e.g. airport operators) to be involved as well.

● Agreement needs to be reached on how any additional subsidy would be funded.

● Any legislative/regulatory requirements underpinning the PSO should be

implemented as soon as possible. Likely timeframes for implementation need to be

clearly articulated and mutually understood.

● In the event of a lengthy timetable to implement a PSO, consideration should be

given to an interim statement of intent between Alderney, Guernsey and Aurigny

relating to the frequency of service in the immediate-term to improve confidence in

the route security. The move to a PSO also needs to be properly articulated to the

business and residential community on Alderney.

● The terms of a PSO should be reviewed regularly to ensure they reflect any

changes in Alderney’s economic conditions. Details need to be developed

alongside a wider economic development strategy for Alderney to ensure they are

compatible and meet the same objectives.

Potential need for increased

capacity in future on existing

and alternative routes

Monitor future need for

increased capacity, and don’t

take action that precludes

extension

● Ensure action taken now doesn’t prevent future extension in the event of a future

economic case for this.

● Key indicators which would highlight the need for increased capacity should be

developed with Aurigny, and a process agreed by which data could be shared between

Aurigny, Alderney and Guernsey.

● This could include not only metrics on passengers, price and load factors, but also an

approach to collect additional data on capacity constraints and unmet demand.

Issue


Background

Main findings and

recommendations

Current economic

situation

Detailed findings

Sector-level

Governance


Alderney airport



During the project, we engaged with representatives of businesses in Alderney from the following sectors:

● Shipping

● Tourism

● Construction

● Aviation (airlines and airport management)

● eGaming

● Telecoms

● Property

● Energy

We also engaged with the Alderney Chamber of Commerce and the Alderney Enterprise Group.

We engaged with civil servants, regulators, and politicians in Alderney and Guernsey, including the following:

● Members of the Alderney Liaison Group

● Alderney politicians

● The AGCC

● Guernsey civil servants (both from Treasury and Resources, and Commerce and Employment)

We also engaged with advisers working in parallel to this study, including:

● TPS

● DRASS Economics

We engaged with stakeholders including businesses, business groups, civil servants,

regulators, politicians, and advisers working in parallel


We reviewed the literature and public evidence

● Connell, John, 2014, Alderney: gambling, Bitcoin and the art of unorthodoxy, Island Studies Journal, Vol. 9,

No. 1, pp. 69-78.

● Gambling Data, 2012, European Regulated Online Markets Data Report.

● Island Analysis, 2011, Alderney Economic Strategy Plan

● Library of the European Parliament, 2013, Library Briefing, Online gambling in the EU

● Manx e-gaming Association, 2014, MEGA Sector Review 2014, Summary of views received from key MEGA

members

● Mott McDonald, 2013, Alderney Airport Runway Review, Stage 2 - Develop Options

● Oxford Economics, 2012, Towards An Economic Development Strategy for Guernsey: Review of Guernsey’s

Economic Profile and Assessment of Future Opportunities

● Requête: the airfield in Alderney

● Sharp, John, The Channel Islands Marine Renewable Energy Group – CIMREG, Opportunity Case Study –

The Channel Islands.

● States of Alderney, 2012, Future Economic Planning for the Island Of Alderney: A Roadmap.

● States of Alderney, 2014, Strategic Plan

● States of Guernsey, 2014, A Strategic Framework for Guernsey’s Economic Development

● The Guernsey Retail Strategy Group, 2013, A retail strategy for Guernsey, Proposals to enhance Guernsey’s

retail sector

● World Travel & Tourism Council, 2014, Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2014


Economic data

We analysed economic data, particularly that collected by the States of Guernsey. Additional sources of data

included:

● Alderney Economic Data Reports (2013 and 2014)

● Alderney Census Report (2001 and 2013)

● Civil Aviation Authority passenger and flight data

● Underlying tourism data for Alderney supplied by Living Islands

We are extremely grateful to all those who gave up their time to contribute so willingly to this study.


Frontier Economics Limited in Europe is a member of the Frontier Economics network, which consists of separate companies based in Europe

(Brussels, Cologne, London and Madrid) and Australia (Melbourne & Sydney). The companies are independently owned, and legal

commitments entered into by any one company do not impose any obligations on other companies in the network. All views expressed in this

document are the views of Frontier Economics Limited.


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